Pagina 26 di 416

Once in this train his thoughts bore him on and on. Memories,

speculations, and desires crowded his mind, and he forgot that

beneath him the roof of Boughton's store was burning more and

more briskly.

Suddenly the man beside him on the ridge-pole shook his arm.

"Say, Code!" he cried. "What's that burnin' over there? I didn't

know the fire had gone across the street."

Schofield looked up quickly and followed the direction of the

other's arm that pointed through the trees to the opposite side

of King's Road and a little to westward.

"Good Lord!" he cried excitedly; "it's my own place, and my

mother is all alone down there. Quick! Send somebody up here! I'm

going!"

CHAPTER III

THE TEST

The man behind him climbed to the ridge-pole and Code began the

descent, necessarily slow and careful because the ladders were

loaded with men passing buckets. When he reached the ground he

started for home on the run.